27 new COVID cases, brings state to 789

The State Department of Health says the state has the highest count of new COVID-19 cases since early April, with 27 new cases, 25 on O’ahu, one in Maui County, and one on Kaua’i.  The state now has 789 cases.

On Thursday, some of the 18 new cases that day were at the Hale Nani Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, the first nursing home in the state to have a cluster.  As of yesterday there were at least 10 cases in patients and staff associated with the cluster.

The State DOH says the majority of new cases reported over the past week are associated with community clusters in large households with crowded conditions, adult care and long-term nursing facilities, and with a faith-based group gathering at a home in Waipahu for religious services.  At least one new case and potentially five others that are still under investigation are associated with the religious gathering at a private home, and  as many as 35 recent cases may be associated with this gathering.  In Waiʻanae, five new cases are believed to be associated with multiple adult care homes, all located on the same property. All of the new cases are Hawai‘i residents and include 22 adults and 5 children.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park said there is no evidence that the recent spike in cases is associated with protests or peaceful marches, but reminds everybody that the coronavirus is quite contagious, there is no vaccine nor treatment, and everybody should wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet away from those outside your home.

The state’s death toll is still 17.